Axios

If a 100% tax was a stiff jab in the effort to keep Chinese EVs off U.S. roads, the Biden administration just dropped a decisive uppercut.

Between the lines: Today's newly proposed ban on certain connected-vehicle technologies is less about fixing a problem that's already here, and more about preventing what's to come.

The U.S. asked Israel over the weekend to take steps to ensure the safety of Americans in Lebanon if the U.S. were to evacuate its citizens as fighting escalates between Israel and Hezbollah, two Israeli official and one U.S. official told Axios.

Why it matters: There are thousands of American citizens living and working in Lebanon and a further escalation of the fighting towards war is likely to trigger an evacuation.

Israel Defense Forces conducted an airstrike in Beirut on Monday targeting Hezbollah's southern front commander Ali Karaki, two Israeli officials said. Hezbollah later said he was not killed.

Why it matters: Karaki is the most senior Hezbollah military commander after Israel assassinated Fuad Shukr in July and the group's head of military operations, Ibrahim Aqil, was killed on Friday in an Israeli airstrike in Beirut.

Lebanon's health ministry said at least 492 people were killed and more than 1,600 wounded in a massive wave of Israeli airstrikes in southern Lebanon on Monday.

Why it matters: The barrage of strikes come with Israel and Hezbollah staring down the possibility of all-out war. They were the most wide-ranging and deadliest the Israel Defense Forces have launched inside Lebanon since the 2006 war between Israel and the militant group.

Wildfires have spiked to new highs across huge parts of South America, with large blazes burning deep in the Amazon rainforest, new reports show.

Why it matters: The fires are emitting record amounts of planet-warming greenhouse gases in a region that humanity counts on for being a net absorber of carbon dioxide.

The Secret Service's approval rating plummeted 23 points in a new Gallup poll largely conducted before the second assassination attempt on former President Trump just over a week ago.

Why it matters: Public opinion of the agency has cratered since the first assassination attempt on Trump in July, which sparked bipartisan backlash over security lapses.

Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky arrived in the U.S. Sunday for a vital visit during which he'll speak at the UN, as Kyiv pushes for an end to 2.5 years of war with Russia's invading forces.

The big picture: Zelensky said ahead of his visit that President Biden will be the "first" to see in full Ukraine's "victory plan," which he said he will also show to Congress, Vice President Kamala Harris and her 2024 presidential rival former President Trump.